Irom Sharmila plans to end her hunger strike, may enter electoral politics soon

Manipur’s iron lady Irom Sharmila is planning to end her sixteen-year-long hunger strike on August 9. Moreover, some sources clarified that her protest will continue even if she ends her long hunger strike. An unacknowledged news source confirmed that she will enter active electoral politics within few months. On November 2000, she started her historic strike to push the state towards withdrawing the Armed Forces Special Powers act, which awarded special powers to the military forces that allegedly misused their special power to suppress all dissident voices using violence. While speaking to the reporters, the legend says that she did not receive any positive response from the government until now so she decided to end her hunger strike. She reportedly asserted that she would enter into electoral politics to gain a positive reaction towards the issue that she had raised around a decade ago. Several times, she was arrested and jailed by the government for attempting to commit suicide. Experts say that the governments, whether it is federal or centre, always neglects the peaceful strike. On the other hand, the authorities forcefully suppress violent ideologies and movements. It one way, the Sharmila’s move can be considered as a late realisation that she can easily pressure the centre to withdraw the draconian law through the electoral politics. If the media’s speculations can be trusted, the iron lady will enter the electoral politics soon.